NOTE: Here’s another draft from the past. We started this Blog before we received the news that two of our old friends died suddenly and unexpectedly over the space of two weeks, giving this Blog a whole new perspective. We left this one alone for a short time, tributes to Ann and Mario (of blessed memory) are in other Blog posts, and we returned and changed this around to make it something new, and then it sat again until today, when we finally published it. Take a moment in time and think about your life.

“Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time…..”

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of the death of another good friend, and we also received word that another old friend from our past took his own life rather than face an uncertain surgery. He had no next of kin.

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull dayFritter and waste the hours in an offhand wayKicking around on a piece of ground in your home townWaiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rainYou are young and life is long and there is time to kill todayAnd then one day you find ten years have got behind youNo one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinkingRacing around to come up behind you againThe sun is the same in a relative way but you’re olderShorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the timePlans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled linesHanging on in quiet desperation is the English wayThe time is gone, the song is overThought I’d something more to say

Home/Home again/I like to be here/When I canWhen I come home/Cold and tiredIt’s good to warm my bones/Beside the fireFar away/Across the fieldTolling on the iron bell/Calls the faithful to their kneesTo hear the softly spoken magic spell

We watched a LION lick his paws in Africa (on Periscope) the other day:

And we watched a mama Grizzly Bear fishing and feeding on salmon in Katmai National Park in Alaska (on Periscope) too:

All that you touch And all that you seeAll that you taste All you feelAnd all that you love And all that you hateAll you distrust All you saveAnd all that you give And all that you deal
And all that you buy, beg, borrow or steal
And all you create And all you destroy
And all that you do And all that you say
And all that you eat And everyone you meet
And all that you slight And everyone you fight
And all that is now And all that is gone
And all that’s to come
and everything under the sun is in tune
but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.
– Pink Floyd “Eclipse” from “Dark Side of the Moon”

NOTE: Still working on the “Road Trip” and “Burning Man” Blogs, but we decided to spend the money and see a LIVE show at the Greek Theatre on Saturday night.

Parking SUCKS at the Greek Theatre (and it always has). We tried to park at the “Offsite Parking Lot” for $10 and wanted to take the shuttle, but were greeted with “Unfortunately……”

It was explained by a lackey in orange vest that unless you paid online, they weren’t letting people pay cash and park because they didn’t have enough parking.Because Griffith Park is TOO F*CKING SMALL AND DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE TO PARK EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO PARK OFFSITE!JUST ANOTHER City of Los Angeles FAIL. (just count on the City to FAIL everytime)

So we drove around and then up the hill to the Greek Theatre, with traffic on Los Feliz and Vermont, and paid $25 to park on the grass on a hillside above the theatre. At least they had rows of cars instead of just “stack parking” and packing them in like the old days.

It cost us an extra $15. We didn’t have to offsite park or take the shuttle and then we walked over to WillCall and picked up our $100 ticket ($79.50 + $18.80 fees). We bought a $5 bottled water so the price tag for the evening was ~$130 + gas (and another $10 for a cocktail + tip later on the way home).

The Greek Theatre in Griffith Park is a very nice venue once you get past the parking.

Our $100 ticket was for Sec B, Row U, Seat 13 – an okay seat on the $$$ price scale. For another $25 we could have been more center, and for a couple hundred dollars more we could have been in Sec A or front of Terrace (Loge seats), but WHY?

Quadrophenia!

With Pete Townshend, Alfie Boe, Billy Idol, an orchestra and a choir!

It wasn’t a rock concert. We knew that going in. It was a classical performance piece with full orchestra and a large choir. They performed the entire double album’s music beautifully and it rocked, but it wasn’t a rock concert and some people didn’t get it.

We really enjoyed the music, it’s one of our favorite WHO albums, and it was great to see it performed live with the orchestra and choir. The sound was really good at the Greek, and with the exception of the audience, it was a very good show.

EXIT (Stage Left): So, we waited for the Greek to empty out and there still was a line to get out of the GATED AREA. It is a VERY DANGEROUS EXIT because if there were an emergency, people would get crushed trying to escape. They didn’t have the large gates open, so everyone had to funnel into and out through the entrance point.

Drive through Griffith Park at night!

We walked back to our car and waited for the parking lot to empty, and the line at the restrooms to clear, then instead of driving down the hill back to Los Feliz, we drove through the park and then down to Western Avenue. There are great views of the city and Downtown Los Angeles from the road through the park, but the only pictures we took were in the tunnel because of the traffic and people walking to their cars.

Tunnel Vision! Drive Through Griffith Park!

Saturday Night! We drove through Ferndell to Los Feliz and down Western to Hollywood Blvd. We got on the 101 freeway and headed back to the valley, and decided to stop for a post-show drink at the Chimneysweep Lounge in Sherman Oaks on the way home. It used to be a real “hole-in-the-wall” dive bar, but then it was taken over by hipsters…

We got a seat at the bar and enjoyed a Stoli rocks with a lime (our first and only drink of the evening). We people watched for a bit but they weren’t interesting people, decided we didn’t want to hang, so we headed home and ate some food before going to bed. It was a pretty fun night and we certainly enjoyed the music.

Dogs are fed, they’ve been outside, did their business, they played around and now they’re down for a morning nap.

What’s on TV this morning:

ABC: “World’s Ugliest Dog” contest, SnapChat’s new feature and it’s dangers
NBC: BET Awards and Pitch Perfect 3, Marriage 101
CNN: Supreme Court allows part of Trump Travel Ban to take effect
HLN: At least 21 large fires burning in Western States
KTLA: Kooking for Kids
CBS: Some story about a murder in Michigan that isn’t news…
(“CBS has been covering this for a long time…”)
AXSTV: Merle Haggard live at Billy Bob’s
BBC World News: The Great Barrier Reef ($42Billion in economic value)
MSNBC: Supreme Court allows part of Trump Travel Ban, Medicaid with Trump stooge
FOX News: Criticizing Trump’s Press Briefings, CNN rules about reporting/retractions

FOX News is the only one talking about RUSSIA AND TRUMP!

Working Man Blues – Merle Haggard

It’s a big job just gettin’ by with nine kids and a wifeI been a workin’ man dang near all my lifeI’ll be working long as my two hands are fit to useI’ll drink my beer in a tavern,Sing a little bit of these working man blues

I keep my nose on the grindstone, I work hard every dayMight get a little tired on the weekend, after I draw my payBut I’ll go back workin, come Monday morning I’m right back with the crewI’ll drink a little beer that evening,Sing a little bit of these working man blues

Hey hey, the working man, the working man like meI ain’t never been on welfare, that’s one place I won’t beCause I’ll be working long as my two hands are fit to useI drink a little beer that eveningSing a little bit of these working man blues

Sometimes I think about leaving, do a little bummin aroundI wanna throw my bills out the window catch a train to another townBut I go back working I gotta buy my kids a brand new pair of shoesYeah drink a little beer that evening,Cry a little bit of these working man blues

Hey hey, the working man, the working man like meI ain’t never been on welfare, that’s one place I won’t beCause I’ll be working long as my two hands are fit to useI drink a little beer that eveningSing a little bit of these working man bluesYeah drink a little beer that evening,Cry a little bit of these working man blues

Another Late Night Doodle:

Don’t Be Distracted! “Squirrel” (pencil on paper)

And there’s our Blog Post for today! The rest of the day is gravy.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE. (Maybe)

We move like cagey tigersWe couldn’t get closer than thisThe way we walkThe way we talkThe way we stalkThe way we kissWe slip through the streetsWhile everyone sleepsGetting bigger and sleekerAnd wider and brighterWe bite and scratch and scream all nightLet’s go and throwAll the songs we know

Into the seaYou and meAll these years and no one heardI’ll show you in springIt’s a treacherous thingWe missed you hissed the lovecatsWe missed you hissed the lovecats

We’re so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfullyWonderfully pretty!Oh you know that I’d do anything for youWe should have each other to tea huh?We should have each other with creamThen curl up by the fireAnd sleep for awhileIt’s the grooviest thingIt’s the perfect dream

Into the seaYou and meAll these years and no one heardI’ll show you in springIt’s a treacherous thingWe missed you hissed the lovecatsWe missed you hissed the lovecatsWe missed you hissed the lovecatsWe missed you hissed the lovecats

We’re so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfullyWonderfully pretty!You know that I’d do anything for youWe should have each other to dinnerWe should have each other with creamThen curl up in the fireGet up for awhileIt’s the grooviest thingIt’s the perfect dream

Hand in handIs the only way to landAnd always the right way roundNot broken in piecesLike hated little meecesHow could we missSomeone as dumb as this?

I love you, let’s goOh, solid goneHow could we miss Someone as dumb as this?

Ann O’Reilly (nee Collins) RIP

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The Canadian country music star who brought you great hits like “I’ve Been Everywhere!”, “The City of New Orleans” and the “Rhumba Boogie”!
(see our previous Blog post I’ve Been Everywhere, Man!)

Hank Snow, the Singing Ranger

Hank Snow on the Perry Como Show in 1952:

Music Makin’ Mama from Memphis!
by Hank Snow

Listen to a story about a gal I know She’s my music makin’ mama, I’m her hillbilly beau She’s sweeter than the music when she tickles the strings Sweeter than the flowers down in New Orleans She’s my Music Makin’ Mama from Memphis, Tennessee.

She’ll play a little rhythm, do the boogie up right A Tennessee polka, maybe blues in the night Ever’body travels from near and far To hear her when she picks it on that old guitar My Music Makin’ Mama from Memphis, Tennessee.

You can hear her in the ev’nin’, when the sun sinks low A-singin’ and a-pickin on that old banjo You wanta jive when the words roll out of her mouth Ever’body’s callin’ her the Queen of the South She’s my fiddle playin’ mama from Memphis, Tennessee.

You gotta start dancin’ when she gets in the groove Picks a big bass fiddle or yodels the blues Plays a downbeat, offbeat, any old beat A breakdown, a hoedown and does it up neat She’s my bass pickin’ baby from Memphis, Tennessee.

You can tell when my baby is a-comin’ to town All the jive-jumpin’ jitterbugs, they gather around They keep a-yellin’ to my sweetie, now, honey, let’s go My baby starts pickin’ and a pickin’ down low My Music Makin’ Mama from Memphis, Tennessee.

She’ll play a little rhythm, do the boogie up right A Tennessee polka, maybe blues in the night Ever’body travels from near and far To hear her when she picks it on that old guitar My Music Makin’ Mama from Memphis, Tennessee.

Located on Nova Scotia’s beautiful South Shore Lighthouse Route,
1 minute off Hwy. 103 at Exit 19 in Liverpool, between Yarmouth & Halifax
(Hank was actually born in Brooklyn in Queens County, just outside Liverpool)

Summer: Open Daily Mid May to Mid October
Monday to Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm, Sunday: Noon to 5:00pm
Off Season: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm, Closed holidays and weekends

Tickets for the 27th Annual Hank Snow Tribute (August 17-20, 2017) on sale now!
Early Bird weekend passes are $60.50, taxes and fees included.
Buy them at ticketpro.ca or call 1-888-311-9090.
Dry RV Camping book through the Hank Snow Home Town Museum
call 1-902-354-4675. The price remains $40/wknd

Earth (AKA “the World” or “the Globe”) is the third planet from the Sun and is the birthplace of humanity and the cradle of human civilization.

‘s Earth Day Doodle!

Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old. The oldest known rocks are about 4 billion years old (rocks older than 3 billion years are rare) and the oldest fossils of living organisms are less than 3.9 billion years old. With a radius of 3,959 miles, Earth is the biggest of the known terrestrial planets, and the fifth largest in our solar system.

Planet Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy, Universe

71 Percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. Earth’s atmosphere is 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, with traces of argon, carbon dioxide and water (H20). Earth’s oceans have an average depth of about 2.5 miles and contains 97 percent of the planet’s water. Earth has a central (inner and outer) core, a rocky mantle and a solid crust.

The name “Earth” is at least 1,000 years old and it is the only planet whose name doesn’t come from from Greek or Roman mythology. The name is from Old English and Germanic origins and means “ground”.

Earth orbits the sun and completes one daily rotation every 23.9 hours. It takes 365.25 days to complete a one year trip around the sun. The Earth’s axis is tilted 23.4 degrees to the plane of the planet’s orbit around the sun and this causes the cycle of seasons.

Earth is the only known planet that has a single moon. The moon is (an average distance of) 238,855 miles away from Earth.

Planet Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy, Universe

A beautiful Waikoloa sunset on the Big Island of Hawaii

We Can Run
by John Barlow & Brent Mydland

We don’t own this place though we act as if we didIt belongs to the children of our children’s kidsThe actual owners haven’t even been born yet

But we never tend the garden and we rarely pay the rentMost of it is broken and the rest of it is bentPut it all on plastic and I wonder where we’ll be when the bills hit

We can run but we can’t hide from itOf all possible worlds we only got one, we gotta ride on itWhatever we’ve done we’ll never get far from what we leave behindBaby we can run, run, run but we can’t hide

Well I’m dumping my trash in your back yardMaking certain you don’t notice really isn’t so hardYou’re so busy with your guns and all of your excuses to use them

Well it’s oil for the rich and babies for the poorWe’ve got everyone believing that more is moreIf a reckoning comes maybe we’ll know what to do then

We can run but we can’t hide from itOf all possible worlds we only got one, we gotta ride on itWhatever we’ve done we’ll never get far from what we leave behindBaby we can run, run, run but we can’t hide

All these complications seem to leave no choiceI heard the tongues of billions speak with just one voiceSaying just leave all the rest to me, I need it worse than you, you seeThen I heard the sound of one child crying

Today I went out walking in the amber windThere’s a hole in the sky where the light pours inI remember the days when I wasn’t afraid of the sunshine

But now it beats down on the ashphalt landLike a hammering blow from God’s left handWhat little still growsCringes in the shade till the night-time

We can run but we can’t hide from itOf all possible worlds we only got one, we gotta ride on itWhatever we’ve done we’ll never get far from what we leave behindBaby we can run, run, run but we can’t hide (….no, we can’t hide.)

Waimoku Falls – Hana, Maui (copyright 2010 JoshWillTravel)

Can You Handle The Truth?

Wild Geese Over the San Fernando Valley

LOVE YOUR MOTHER EARTH!

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As you can see we’ve been busy.*
We have always written this Blog for our own amusement.We hope others will read the posts and be entertained and maybe educated).
Our pics and vids are posted (copyright 2010-2017 JoshWillTravel) for your visual stimulation and to better tell the stories. All other images (photos and youtube videos, etc.) are for educational purposes only and not used for any commercial gain.
*There is a lot of NEW and FUN stuff!ENJOY!

Procrastination (noun)
-the action of delaying or postponing something
-the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished
-the practice of doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones
-carrying out less urgent tasks instead of more urgent ones
-putting off impending tasks to a later time

The song tells a folk tale of a cowboy who has a vision of red-eyed, steel-hooved cattle thundering across the sky, being chased by the spirits of damned cowboys. One of the riders warns him that if he doesn’t change his ways, he’ll be doomed to join them.

The song presents an image of cowboy hell with doomed riders destined to chase the Devil’s cattle for all eternity. Known by the different titles “Riders in the Sky“, “Ghost Riders“, “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and “A Cowboy Legend“, the song has become a Country & Western Classic!

“(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend” was written by Stan Jones in 1948.
Stan Jones said he heard the story when he was 12 years old from an old cowboy.
More than 50 performers have recorded their own cover versions of the song.

Burl Ives recorded the original version of the song in February, 1949:

Vaughn Monroe recorded the song in March, 1949 and it went to Number One on the Billboard charts. Here’s a live performance from 1965:

Ghost Riders in the Sky!

“(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend“

An old cowboy went ridin’ out one dark and windy dayupon a ridge he rested as he went along his waywhen all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he sawplowin’ through the ragged skies and up a cloudy draw

Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steeltheir horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feela bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the skyfor he saw the riders comin’ hard and he heard their mournful cries

Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurredtheir shirts all soaked with sweathe’s ridin’ hard to catch that herdbut he ain’t caught em yet’cause they got to ride forever in that range up in the skyon horses snortin’ fire as they ride on, hear their cries

As the riders loped on by him he heard one call his nameif you want to save your soul from hell a-ridin’ on our rangethen cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ridetryin’ to catch the devil’s herd across these endless skies

yippie i ohhh oh oh, yippie i aye ye yeghost riders in the sky, ghost riders in the sky, ghost riders in the sky…….

Ghost Rider in the Sky!

The Ventures made a surf rock cover of the song in 1961 and Dick Dale recorded a rockin’ version for his second album “King of the Surf Guitar” which was released in 1963.

The song inspired the 1949 Gene Autry film “Riders in the Sky”
and the film’s tag lines:“Gene and Champion Ride To Glory!…
as the range echoes to the stirring strains of the great cowboy ballad!”
and“A GREAT COWBOY BALLAD launches Gene on his most stirring adventure!”

Of course Gene Autry sings “Ghost Riders in the Sky”. A chance meeting with Stan Jones led Autry to buy the rights to the song, and he gave Jones a part in the film. Jones appears as a cowboy riding and singing along with Autry in the opening and closing scenes of the film. The song also inspired the 1953 film “Goldtown Ghost Riders” starring Gene Autry.

Gene Autry, World’s Greatest Cowboy!

Gene Autry RIP (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998):
He made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by him.
His records sold more than 100 million copies. He has been awarded more than a dozen gold and platinum records, including the first ever certified gold record.
He was awarded 5 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame On February 8, 1960:
for Motion Pictures, Radio, Recording, Television and Live Performance.
He is the only person with 5 stars on the Walk of Fame.
Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969
Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1972.
Inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1979 as a stock contractor.
He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
He received The Songwriters Guild Life Achievement Award and was given a lifetime achievement award from ASCAP.
He was a 33rd Degree Mason, an Honorary Inspector General and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Court of Honor.

He created a code of conduct for his young fans called“The Cowboy Code”:
1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.
10. The Cowboy is a patriot.

“The Lawrence Welk Show”with Neil LeVang on guitar (1961):

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Johnny Cash:

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Elvis Presley in 1970 (in Culver City, California):

The song also inspired the horror-Western comic-book character the Ghost Rider. After Magazine Enterprises’ trademark ran out, Marvel Comics debuted its own version of the character in “Ghost Rider” #1 in February, 1967. The character was later renamed the Phantom Rider when Marvel debuted the demonic motorcyclist Ghost Rider.

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Nicolas Cage starred in the 2007 film “Ghost Rider”
and the 2012 sequel “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.”

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The Blues Brothers performed the song in the 1998 film “Blues Brothers 2000.” Their version appears on both the soundtrack and on the album “The Blues Brothers’ Greatest Hits of All Time.” In the film, the band is booked at a bluegrass festival and announced as “The Bluegrass Brothers”. Buster Blues’ harmonica parts were recorded by John Popper of Blues Traveler.

According to The Doors’ Robby Krieger, it inspired the classic song “Riders on the Storm”

It evolved out of a jam session when the band was messing around with “Ghost Riders In the Sky” and it was Jim Morrison’s idea to alter the title to “Riders On The Storm.” It was also the last song Jim recorded. He went to France and died a few weeks later. If you listen closely, you can hear Jim whispering the lyrics over his singing. Ray Manzarek told Uncut magazine in September 2011: “There’s a whisper voice on ‘Riders on the Storm,’ if you listen closely, a whispered overdub that Jim adds beneath his vocal. That’s the last thing he ever did. An ephemeral, whispered overdub.” The single was released in June 1971, shortly before Morrison’s death.

Doors drummer John Densmore wrote an auto-biographical book called
“Riders On The Storm” about his life with Jim Morrison and The Doors.

LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR, TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE WRITER/BLOGGER

"Your Travel is Our Business!"
I hope that by sharing my journeys and experiences you will be inspired to embark on your own travel adventures. This blog is interactive, so please join in.
I welcome your questions, feedback, comments and emails.